More kittens tossed onto busy streets, this time on south shore

Kittens were reportedly thrown Friday afternoon from a vehicle driving on the elevated West Bank Expressway and the Crescent City Connection, just two days after Lake Pontchartrain Causeway authorities said they were looking for someone who had tossed two kittens from a minivan on that bridge.

A $15,000 reward was announced Friday for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the Causeway incident, which occurred two weeks ago.

The Crescent City Connection police said Friday they were notified about 3 p.m. that someone was throwing kittens from a vehicle on the expressway near Terry Parkway and again near the O'Keefe exit from the Mississippi River bridge.

Bridge police searched both sites, finding one kitten on the West Bank Expressway that apparently had been hit by a vehicle.

Police have spoken with one witness and hope other motorists who saw what happened will come forward. Anyone with information can contact the Crescent City Connection police at 504.376.8180.

Investigators are working with Causeway police to determine whether there is any connection to the Causeway bridge incident.

Two donors are offering a combined $15,000 in reward money for the arrest and conviction of the person who threw two kittens out the window of a minivan onto the Causeway last month.

A $10,000 reward from the Humane Society of Louisiana comes from a family that wishes to remain anonymous. Bill Johnson, a Jefferson Parish pawn shop owner, is putting up $5,000.

"The level of this reward, I think reflects the level of concern from the community, " said Jeff Dorson, the Humane Society's executive director. "That people want this money used for this purpose shows that they're sick and tired of these types of stories generated from Louisiana. We can right a wrong by telling the country that we do care about our animals."

The reward is significantly higher than those offered in most murder cases in the New Orleans area.

Kathy Anderson / The Times-PicayuneOne kitten survived after being tossed from a vehicle on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on Sept. 17. Named Matty, he has been adopted and is now 8 weeks old.

Johnson, a frequent donor to the Humane Society and the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary, owns BJ's Pawn Shop in Metairie and Gretna.

"I'm a dog person, but I had a cat adopt me seven or eight years ago, " Johnson said. "It's just a pity that people treat any kind of animals like this. Imagine what they'll do to humans."

Anyone with information about the Sept. 17 incident is asked to call the Humane Society at 888.648.6263 or the Causeway Police Department at 504.835.3116.

"I'm delighted that somebody is trying to get out there with us to track these people down. It's terrific, " said Carlton Dufrechou, general manager of the 24-mile-long bridge. "We'll review our tapes and see whatever else we can find. I'm really, really proud that other people are trying to look out for the little critters too."

One kitten, now 8 weeks old and named Matty by his rescuers, survived and has been adopted. Another kitten also tossed out the window of the white minivan, which was going 65 mph on a heavily traveled bridge with no shoulder, was not found.

The kittens were thrown on the southbound roadway 13 miles from the north shore Sept. 17 around 1 p.m. The surviving kitten hid in the recesses of the bridge for 12 hours before police officers found him.

A witness gave a description of the van but could not see inside because the windows were tinted. Causeway police have videotapes of the vehicles that exited the bridge that day and have interviewed several drivers, Dufrechou said.

The culprit will be charged with the felony of aggravated animal cruelty. The penalty is a fine of $5,000 to $25,000, a prison term of one to 10 years, or both. When more than one animal is tortured, each act constitutes a separate offense.

Animal abandonments occur about twice a year on the bridge, said Robert Lambert, who recently stepped down as general manager. Lambert has adopted three cats and two dogs -- both huskies -- found on the bridge.

Cindy Chang can be reached at cchang@timespicayune.com or 985.898.4816.